This invention relates to tooth cleaning apparatus and it specifically relates to an improved construction and cleaning mechanisms that provide consistently improved brushing for all persons. It relates even more particularly to apparatus that can be utilized by physically handicapped persons, such as those without hands or those without ability to utilize the hands, in effectively brushing their teeth without the assistance of other persons.
A traditional toothbrush generally consisting of a long narrow flat construction, one end thereof having bristles extending perpendicularly from one of the flat surfaces, is only as effective as the person using it. This traditional brush structure has proven ineffective over the years as its use often requires a thoroughness and manual dexterity that eludes many average users having normal manual dexterity either because of the user's impatience or lack of muscle coordination.
The jaw structure itself places other limitations upon such conventional dental hygiene methods and techniques. The mandible presents special problems for either electric or manual toothbrushing as it is not as stable as the maxilla.
This conventional means of dental hygiene, which many people having no physical problems cannot seem to master consistently with effectiveness, places the physically or mentally handicapped at an incredible disadvantage. The generally poor oral health of the handicapped population has been well documented. Various toothbrush designs have been proposed to eliminate these inherent limitations in the conventional dental hygiene method, but none have performed adequately to achieve an entirely acceptable degree of effectivity. Consequently, in the case of handicapped persons, it is frequently necessary to provide those persons with assistance.
Regarding the handicapped, toothbrushes of a design commonly known as a "chewing toothbrush" have been devised but failed to achieve the intended objectives because, in addition to a chewing action, they required an exterior supporting or manipulating force such as application of force by a person's hand through a handle section to effectuate a brushing action. In most instances, the handicapped are incapable of properly applying such a force, if they can apply such a force at all. The present invention requires only a chewing action with respect to one embodiment thereof and no action on the part of the person to effectuate a proper brushing of the teeth.
Additionally, previous chewing toothbrush designs comprising both rigid and resilient mouth pieces have not been found satisfactory because they have not provided the proper brushing action of the teeth. Some previous designs provided dual-sided, brush channels for simultaneous brushing of both the upper and lower teeth simultaneously. However, these dual-sided brushes do not necessarily operate in the same degree or manner with respect to the opposite jaws or the teeth carried thereby. The resiliency of the bristles may be slightly different or the configuration of the teeth may be different so that a greater or lessor degree of brushing effectiveness is obtained with respect to one jaw and the brush may be maintained in a more or less fixed position with respect to the other. This possible disadvantage in operation would only be apparent in the brushing action obtained by a chewing action or alternate opening and closing of the jaws.
Finally, previous chewing toothbrush designs have not been accepted and utilized because they provided no means to assure proper brush contact with the sulcus as well as the teeth of the user. Rather than providing gingival stimulation, the prior devices often provided "toothbrush truma" to the gums. Scuffing of the gingiva often occurred from the use of the previous toothbrush designs because they comprised no means to control how far the teeth were inserted into their respective bristle channels nor did they provide proper bristle angles within the bristle channels with respect to the surfaces of the teeth inserted therein.